Bacterial infections are common in a variety of circumstances, and are responsible for necessitating a large number of medical interventions each year. Over the past 100 years, numerous antibiotic agents have been developed with varying levels of efficacy. Unfortunately, primarily due to the misuse of antibiotics, antibiotic-resistant strains of bacteria have become more common recently. As antibiotics become less effective against bacterial infections, avoidance of the infections becomes increasingly important and an increasingly preferable approach.
At present, bacteria can populate most surfaces commonly encountered by individuals. For example, the materials used to prepare door knobs, computer keyboards, touch screens, hand rails, and the like do not typically have anti-bacterial properties, and the spread of bacteria within a population is typically limited only by the precautions taken by individuals. For example, proper hygiene (e.g., frequent hand washing) is a highly effective way to avoid bacterial infections of individuals, but requires active participation by the individual and is therefore not always a reliable method. Frequent cleaning and disinfecting of public surfaces and items that are handled by multiple individuals is not always possible and remains a labor intensive method to minimizing the spread of bacteria. Even under nearly ideal conditions, where individuals are taking all practical precautions to avoid the spread and growth of bacteria, certain environments remain prone to bacterial growth. Examples include surfaces that are routinely exposed to aqueous environments for prolonged periods of time. Such surfaces may require thorough cleaning on a regular basis, and where such cleaning is improper, incomplete, or nonexistent bacterial growth may result.
One approach to preventing the spread of bacteria and bacterial infections from exposure to bacterial growth is to provide object surfaces with inherent anti-bacterial activity, such as with a surface coating that imparts such properties. Ideally, such a method would be easily adapted for a variety of object surfaces, would use commonly available and inexpensive materials, would provide long-term anti-bacterial activity with minimal or no toxicity toward animals, and/or would not contribute to the growing incidence of drug-resistant bacteria.